Drain sealing apparatus

ABSTRACT

An in-drain sealing apparatus for being positioned in a drain pipe with an interior surface where the positioning is below a surface mounted grate in a room area. The drain sealing apparatus includes a connector ring defined by a center axis, a lower edge and a peripheral surface, the connector ring positioned in the drain pipe below the grate with a first cylindrical space defined between the drain pipe interior surface and the connector ring peripheral surface. A sealing member is positioned in the first space for sealing the first cylindrical space between the peripheral surface of the connector ring and interior surface of the drain pipe for preventing access from the drain pipe to the room area through the region between the connector ring and the drain pipe. A normally close sealing device is coupled to the connector ring whereby liquid flowing through the grate area into the drain will cause the normally closed sealing device to open allowing the liquid into the drain pipe and then return to its normally closed position when liquid ceases to flow through into the grate.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/475,061, filed on Dec. 22, 2017 and entitled “Drain Sealing Apparatus,” the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated herein.

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to plumbing devices and is particularly directed to improved means for blocking floor sink drain openings to prevent passage of odor vermin from the drain, through a grate and into an area above the grate while allowing the free flow of fluid from the area above the grate into the drain.

As is more fully described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,139,996, 8,496,811 or 8,307,469, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, food preparation kitchens are usually provided with a floor sink having a drain opening which connects to a grease trap or sewer drain to allow disposal of indirect waste water and the like. Unfortunately, rags, napkins, silverware and other large objects are often washed into the floor sink along with the floor washing water and these objects often get carried into the drain and cause blockage, flooding and other problems. These problems are resolved by the drain lock mechanisms described in the above identified patents. However, another problem arises with such drain locks, namely unpleasant odors and undesired and unsanitary vermin still have access to the kitchen or other area above the drain grate creating unpleasant and potentially unsanitary conditions. The present invention provides a mechanism to allow waste water to enter the drain but closing the path through the drain into the kitchen and when waste water is not flowing to thereby prevent odors and vermin from entering the kitchen or area above the drain grate when waste water is not flowing into the drain.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An improved floor sink drain mechanism is provided which positively precludes passage of odors and vermin from passing from the drain pipe into a kitchen or other area above a drain pipe, while permitting free passage of fluid such as waste water to pass from the kitchen or other area above the drain into the drain whereby the downward weight and momentum of the fluid itself causes a one way valve mechanism to open allowing the fluid to pass into the drain and thereafter the one way valve mechanism closes preventing odors and vermin from entering the kitchen area.

These and other features and object of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, taken with reference to the figures of the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an embodiment of the drain sealing mechanism incorporated with a floor drain in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded side view of the embodiment of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of another embodiment of the drain sealing mechanism incorporated with a floor drain in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 4 is an exploded side view of the embodiment of the embodiment shown in FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an in-drain sanitary sealing apparatus 10 for keeping odors, insects and vermin from coming up a drain pipe 12 through a grate 14 and into an area such as a kitchen 16, is positioned in the drain pipe 12 below a drain grate 14 which may be simply a grate apparatus or a part of a drain locking device such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,139,996, 8,496,811 or 8,307,469 the disclosure of each being incorporated herein by reference. With reference particularly to a drain locking device 19, the in-drain sanitary sealing apparatus 10 includes a connector ring 18 with a first edge 20, the connector ring 18 affixed by any suitable means to a frusto-conical tapered member 24 which is inserted in the drain opening 26 and connected to the upper grate 14 by a bolt, threaded member or other connecting member 21 along its center axis 23 as more fully described in the above identified patents.

Alternatively, the connector ring 18 and the tapered member 24 can be integrally manufactured as a single unit or may be affixed together with adhesive or other suitable mating mechanism preferably maintaining connecting member 21 at its central axis 23. The connector ring 18 has second edge 26 (opposite the first edge 20) from which one or more but preferably a plurality of rivets or threaded post members 28 extend in a direction pointing into the drain pipe 12. A one embodiment, a flexible cone shaped rubber drain member 30 has a larger opening at a first end 32 tapering to a smaller normally closed end 44. The first end 32 preferable has rivet receiving holes 34 around its peripheral edge 35 for positioning the first end 32 of the cone shaped rubber drain member 30 into engagement with the rivets/posts 28 preferably with one rivet/post member 28 extending through one rivet receiving hole 34. A clamping ring 36, with rivet receiving holes 38 arranged around its periphery to align with the rivets/posts 28, is then placed over the peripheral edge 35 of the cone shaped rubber drain member 30 to clamp the cone shaped rubber drain member between the second edge 26 and the clamping ring 36. The rivets may then be deformed against the ring 36 to clamp the peripheral edge 35 of the cone shape rubber drain member 30 around its periphery between the ring 36 and the second edge 26 of the connector ring 18.

A sealing ring 40 is positioned in the space 17 between the peripheral surface 42 of the connector ring 18 and the interior surface 13 of the drain pipe 12 to seal the space 17 between the inner surface of the drain pipe 12 and the peripheral surface 42 of the connector ring 18.

In operation, the in-drain sanitary sealing apparatus is inserted into the drain 12 with the rubber ring sealing member 40 pressed between the drain pipe inner surface 13 and the peripheral surface 42 of the connector ring 18 so that the ring sealing member 40 prevents bugs and odors from entering the room through the space 17 between the drain pipe 12 and the connector ring 18 with the cone shaped rubber drain member 30 preventing odors and bugs from entering the room through the center region of the drain pipe 12 through which drain water passes.

In operation, water passing through the grate 14 puts pressure on the rubber cone 30 and with a relatively small amount of such pressure the rubber cone 30, which has a normally closed opening at its narrow end 44, opens at its narrow end 44 releasing the water through the rubber cone into the drain 12. When the water stops flowing, the narrow end 44 of the rubber cone member 30 curls up or otherwise closes to return to its normally closed position to seal odors within the drain pipe and keep bugs and other vermin from coming though the drain into the area 16 above the drain pipe 12.

In another embodiment of the drain sealing apparatus, illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, instead of the discharge from the grate 14 being through an opening in the center of the cone shaped rubber drain member 30 which opens in response to the weight of the liquid flowing therethrough into the drain as is the previously described embodiment, a rubber disc 50 having a circular edge 52 and a center connecting region 62 where the circular edge 52 is positioned in normally closed relationship against the edge 54 of a connector ring 56. The normally closed relationship is maintained by connecting a center support member 58 between the center connecting member 21 and the center connecting region 62 so as to pull the center 62 of the rubber disc 50 toward the grate 14 thereby holding the edge of the rubber disc 52 in normally closed relationship against the edge 54 of the connector ring 56.

In operation, water passing through the grate 14 puts pressure on the rubber disc 50 at the circular edge 52 causing the normally closed rubber disc 50 to open to allow water to flow into the drain after which the disc returns to its normally closed relationship to keep odors and vermin from coming though the drain into the room 16 above the drain 12.

Numerous variations and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, it should be clearly understood that the forms of the present invention described above and shown in the accompanying drawing are illustrative only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. 

1. An in-drain sealing apparatus for being positioned in a drain pipe below a surface mounted grate in a room area, the drain pipe having an interior surface, the in-drain sealing apparatus comprising: a connector ring defined by a center axis, a lower edge and a peripheral surface, the connector ring for being positioned in the drain pipe below the grate with a first cylindrical space defined between the drain pipe interior surface and the connector ring peripheral surface, a sealing member positioned in the first cylindrical space for sealing the first cylindrical space and preventing access from the drain pipe to the room area through first cylindrical space, and a normally close sealing apparatus coupled to the connector ring whereby liquid flowing through the grate area into the drain will cause the normally closed sealing member to open allowing the liquid into the drain pipe and then return to its normally closed position when liquid ceases to flow through into the grate.
 2. The in-drain sealing apparatus of claim 1 wherein the normally closed sealing member comprises a cone shaped rubber-like drain member with a first end attached to the lower edge of the connector ring and a second end with a normally closed narrow opening extending into the drain for opening in response to liquid flow through the grate and closing when the liquid flow ends.
 3. The in-drain sanitary sealing apparatus of claim 1 wherein in the normally close sealing apparatus comprises: a sealing disc with circular edge and center connecting region with the circular edge position in normally closed relationship against the edge of the connector ring, and a center support member for coupling the center connection region of the sealing disc to the connector ring along the center axis of the connector ring for moveably holding the circular edge of the sealing disc against the edge of the connector ring in normally closed relationship thereto whereby liquid flowing through the grate area into the drain will cause the sealing disc to open between the edge of the connector ring and the edge of the sealing disc circular edge allowing the liquid into the drain pipe, the sealing disc returning to a normally closed position against the edge of the connector ring when the liquid flow ends. 